Prisoner
by FantasyFanatic2313
Summary: Vitani is from the real world and finds herself in the Mushroom Kingdom. She is soon captured by King Koopa who opts for her instead of the princess. Ludwig is to be her prison guard, but what happens between the two as time goes on?
1. Chapter 1 - Wish

**A/N: Hi, all. I got this idea a little while back and finally got some inspiration to write it! Now I know the chapters are on the short side, but I'm trying to keep it so that the main thing happening is isolated in a chapter if you get what I mean. This fic is something a little different for me, but I hope you like it.**

 **P.S. I am still pinkpeacelimegreen, just changed up my name**

 **P.S.S. I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHACTERS**

 **CHAPTER ONE – WISH**

Vitani stared down at the ring that adorned her finger, the gem glistening in the light. She knew the article did not stand for love. It stood for three years of war, but no one else knew that. The only reason she had said yes was because she felt it was what was expected of her. Sure, she loved him, but everything about it felt wrong.

She was not an equal, but a victim. He had berated her on countless occasions because she had done something he did not like. Most times it even lead to him striking her. This was the norm for their relationship. Everyone else thought that they were the perfect couple, but she begged to differ.

She wanted to leave, but she didn't know how to run. Always had he felt that her family would be disappointed in her. That was why she stayed around and went through all the abuse he gave her. Day after day she wished for a way out.

Vitani let her hand drop back down to her lap and observed the world around her. The wind whistled past her ears and rustled the young leaves and they desperately clung to their branches. She felt the sun shining down upon her, warming her with its rays as a few birds chirped nearby.

This was the world that she lived in. Everything as constantly moving and changing around her. Life never stooped, but she always felt like she did, and while she sat still, the world was oblivious. She was but one person among millions, her existence uninfluential. Sometimes she felt like she could disappear and no one would even notice.

She adjusted her seat on the well upon which she sat and looked down to the water below. Reflected back was the girl she had slowly become. Her face was pale, her long hair thin and wispy, her eyes blank and void of happiness. She was not the carefree girl everyone thought she was. Vitani was the complete opposite.

Her fake happiness facade was tiring. In moments like these when she got to be alone, she let her true feelings show through her mask and reflect upon her life. At night, she would often stare at the stars and contemplate if this was all there was to life. Her eyes would always search for a shooting star to wish upon for a change, and thus far she had not found one.

A call from within the house stirred her from her revere and she stiffened. Vitani knew that voice all too well. To her, it could be Satan himself beckoning for her, and she almost wished it was because even he couldn't match the brutality that awaited her. Hesitantly, she rose from her perch and slowly walked to him.

Inside she was met with the eyes she had come to know. They were filled with warmth and looked inviting, but that was only the outside. Inside was rage, hate, and above all, power. He thought he held the power to control her.

"Where have you been?" he asked impatiently.

She swallowed and looked at him with an unreadable expression. "I was sitting outside."

He glared. "What, wasting precious time again? You could have at least been doing something useful, like cleaning up this place!"

Vitani looked around at the nearly spotless room. "I finished cleaning a couple hours ago."

"I don't care! Find something else to do instead of wasting time daydreaming!"

Vitani closed her eyes for a moment and exhaled sharply. "No," she said firmly.

He raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"I said no."

He stood up and looked straight into her eyes. "You dare to defy me?"

She glared back into his eyes. "Yes. You don't control me."

The sound of skin hitting skin filled the room. She put a hand to the spot on her face he had just struck and winced. "Get out of my sight," he hissed. "You're worthless."

She quickly turned and left the room, going back out onto the terrace. She knelt down at the well and let her tears run silently down her face. The sun was setting, and what little remained still playfully peaked over the horizon. Vitani looked up to the darkening sky and saw but a single star.

She closed her eyes and began to wish. "I wish I could be free of this life…" she whispered. When she reopened her eyes, the star moved and shot across the sky. Suddenly, its course changed and it began to pelt down towards where she sat.

Vitani backed away from the well and watched as the star plummeted into the water below. She heard a distinct splash and peered downward. The water rippled and she noticed a faint light under the surface. She leaning over further, trying to make sense of the situation.

Slowly, two tendrils rose out of the water, glowing blue from the light. They climbed their way to the top and stopped just before the rim. One reached out to Vitani and she lightly touched her finger to the strand.

Emotions she did not know she could still feel filled her. Love. Happiness. Want. Freedom. She closed her eyes and sighed contently. "This is it," she whispered. Vitani grasped the offered tendril and nodded.

The water began to envelop her arm and the other joined in starting at her waist. She felt herself swelling with glee as her body was slowly encased. Her feet left the ground as she was pulled up and she hovered above the opening of the well.

Vitani looked back one last time at the life she once knew. She saw a fluttered of the curtains and noticed that he was now watching her in shock from the window. "Goodbye," she said before she was sucked down into the abyss below.


	2. Chapter 2 - Awakening

**CHAPTER TWO – AWAKENING**

Vitani slowly opened her eyes and squinted at the intruding light. She looked around and did not find any familiar surroundings.

"Where am I?" she asked softly.

She tried to remember how she had gotten there, but all that came to her mind was her name and the word 'water'. Vitani looked down and noticed her body was adorned in a silky and flowing blue dress. The smooth feel of the material intimately caressed her skin and made her feel weightless.

Vitani rose to her feet and stumbled on the first couple steps. She observed the unfamiliar terrain. Everything looked really defined, almost as if she could see every molecule that made up the world around her. The land was open and stretched as far as she could see with a few trees places sporadically here and there. In the distance was the outline of a large building.

 _Maybe someone there can help me,_ she thought.

Vitani began to walk towards the structure. It was hard to tell how far it really was, but she figured the journey could give her some time to think. As she walked the grass tickled at the soles of her feet and the smell of flowers lightly permeated the air.

After a good amount of steps, a tree rich with apples came into view. They glistened brightly, their red color calling to her. Vitani approached, but then froze when she noticed an odd creature beneath the tree. It was green with a large, bulbous nose and wide eyes. It stood on two feet with what appeared to be shoes covering them.

Vitani laughed lightly at its appearance. The creature also had rather short arms and she wondered how it could possibly harvest the luscious fruit above. It looked up and locked its gaze on an apple a few feet above where it stood. The creature opened its mouth and its tongue stretched the distance. She watched in amazement as the appendage enveloped the fruit and the creature swallowed it whole.

Vitani was perplexed because she had never seen a being act in such a manner. Cautiously, she approached the little green creature. Upon approaching, she accidentally stepped on a fallen branch which cracked loudly. The beast looked up and let out a surprised squeak and looked like it was ready to flee.

Vitani held up her hands. "I'm not here to hurt you," she said gently. "I was wondering if you could help me. See that place in the distance?" She pointed towards the outline. "Could you help me get there?"

The creature squeaked again and nodded before jumping up and speaking. "Yoshi!"

"Yoshi?" Vitani questioned. "Is that your name?" The creature now known as Yoshi nodded and gestured towards its back. "You want me to get on your back?" Yoshi nodded again.

Vitani approached and gently stroked Yoshi's head. She lifted the bottom of her dress to free her legs and carefully seated herself upon its back. "Okay," she said hesitantly. "Please be careful. First time rider." She laughed nervously at the last part.

Yoshi took a few steps to get used to the weight then started into a trot. Vitani squealed and laughed at the new experience as she bounced on Yoshi's back. They began down a well-beaten path at a steady pace and soon came to a river that to Vitani looked impossible to cross.

"So what now?" she asked. Yoshi looked at her and gestured to its back again. "Don't tell me we're going through that!" Yoshi shook his head and crouched down before he leaped across the river in one jump and landed with a soft thud. Vitani looked at him in disbelief of the fact that they had made it in one piece and were not soaked, but then again, she had already witnessed this creature's unusually dexterous tongue. Yoshi squeaked and continued on the path.

The figure of the building approached closer as they journeyed on. The worn grass path had turned to a dirt road. In the distance, more creatures grazed in the distance. They looked just like the one she sat upon, but they varied in color. Amongst them the field was littered with small spotted eggs. She watched as one hatched and another Yoshi joined the pack.

A short brown creature soon stumbled into their path. Its body was almost mushroom shaped with big eyes. Its feet were rather small in comparison to its body and it did not have arms. A pair of fangs protruded from its lips which glistened with saliva. Before Vitani had much of a chance to react, Yoshi stuck out its tongue and swallowed the thing whole. She shrugged and dismissed it.

The path turned to cobblestone as the building finally came into view. Vitani gasped at its enormous size. It wasn't just any building, but a large castle with three large tiers, the middle with a stain glass window that depicted a blonde woman clad in pink holding a rose.

A shadow appeared and cloaked the area. Vitani looked up to see a giant airship hovering above them. Yoshi squeaked nervously and she patted his head. "Come on, let's get inside."

Yoshi quickly carried her up to the elegant doors and Vitani climbed off his back. "Will you stay with me for now?" she asked. Yoshi squeaked as Vitani opened the door and he followed her inside the castle.


	3. Chapter 3 - Princess?

**CHAPTER THREE – PRINCESS?**

The inside of the castle was dark and seemed barren. Vitani struggled to see in the darkness. She placed her hands against the wall and tried to guide herself down the seemly never-ending hallway. One it ended, the room opened up, but she could not tell how far.

"Haven't these people ever heard of adequate lighting?" she muttered.

Vitani shrieked when she felt something bump into the back of her legs. "Oh, it's just you Yoshi. Sorry about that." She patted his head and continued on. Vitani's leg soon came in contact with what felt like a fine wire. The sound of chains were heard along with a whooshing sound that ended with a ground-shaking thud.

The lights turned on shortly after and the two found themselves in a giant cage. A man in overalls with a red hat and moustache appeared. "Ah ha! Got you, Bowser! Did you really think we'd let you get the princess this easily?"

Vitani grabbed the bars and stuck her head out for him to see. "I don't know what you're talking about. Who is this 'Bowser' you speak of?" Vitani asked.

The man's eyed widened. "Huh? Then who are you?"

"I'm Vitani. I have no idea how I got here, but Yoshi helped me to this castle."

The man pushed a button on a nearby wall and the cage rose. "Sorry about that, miss. The name's Mario. If you need help, I'm your man!" Yoshi squeaked and gave Mario a look. "Oh, and Yoshi's your dinosaur." He fished in his pocket and pulled out a biscuit. "Here you go, buddy."

Yoshi stuck his tongue out and accepted the treat. "Yoshi!" he cried happily.

"So how can I help you out?" Mario asked.

"I'm not really sure," Vitani said. "I have no memory of how I got here. I can only remember my name and some reason the word 'water'."

"Hmm, that's a bit of a tough situation," he said as he fingered his thick moustache. "Tell you what, I'll take you to the princess and see if she can help you out. Follow me."

Mario started up the staircase in the middle of the room and Vitani followed closely behind, not wanting to get more lost than she already was. She noticed that Yoshi was nowhere to be found and figured he had run off somewhere, maybe back to his herd. The two entered through a door embellished with a giant gold star. There was a small stretch of hallway and one singular door that the end.

Mario raised his hand and knocked a couple times. "Princess Toadstool? It's me, Mario. May I speak with you?"

The door opened to reveal a blonde woman clad in pink. "Of course," she said and stepped aside to let Mario and Vitani in.

"Hey, you're the woman in the stained glass window," Vitani said then quickly bowed and added, "Your Highness."

The woman laughed, clearly unoffended. "Yes, that's correct," she said. "I am Princess Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom, but feel free to call me Peach. Who might you be? It's not often I see an unfamiliar face in my kingdom."

"My name is Vitani, ma'am. I ask your help in helping me remember why I am in lovely kingdom but can only remember my name and the word 'water'."

"Hmm, interesting," the princess commented and thought for a moment. "We'll figure that out more later. For now, how about some tea and cakes? You must be famished."

Vitani smiled at her politeness. "Thank you, I'd appreciate that."

"I will fetch Luigi and ask Toad to bring up the goods on the way," Mario said and excited the room.

Peach gestured to an arrangement of sofas that had a table in the middle. "Please, sit. I love when I have guests, especially new ones."

"Thank you," she said and sat. "Would you mind helping one bit of my confusion?"

"Of course."

"When I first came into your castle, I stumbled into a trap you had set for someone Mario referred to as 'Bowser'. Who is he?"

Peach's eyes went down to the floor and her face stiffened. "Bowser, or King Koopa if you prefer, is, and always has been an enemy to the Mushroom Kingdom. Now he is definitely not king here. He rules over Dark Land which is a very eerie place. Him and his little trouble making minions love to come up with ways to get me to sign over my kingdom to him. This usually involves kidnapping me and Mario always comes to me recue." She smiled lightly at the last part. "I can't imagine if Bowser ever got my kingdom. My poor subjects…" she trailed off.

"Where is this 'Dark Land'?" Vitani asked. "Nowhere around here looks dark at all."

"In this world, we use pipes to warp to different zones. The pipe to Dark Land is on the very far outskirts of my kingdom. Bowser usually comes in his Doomship."

Vitani thought for a moment. "By 'Doomship' you mean an airship?"

Peach nodded. "So you've seen it… That ship is why we had a trap set at the entrance but you accidentally walked into it."

Vitani blushed lightly. "Sorry about that, princess."

Peach waved it off. "It's alright. We had no idea you were going to show up, that's for sure. Unfortunately, the noise that the trap made earlier probably alerted Bowser of it…"

Mario burst into the door. "Princess!" he huffed, "Bowser's ship has landed! We must get you to safety!"

Peach stood up quickly. "Follow me," she said and walked over to a window. It was the same stained glass she had seen from the outside. "Climb up."

"What?" Vitani asked, very confused.

"Just trust me," Peach said and lightly pushed Vitani.

Vitani screamed as she found herself passing through the glass. Peach soon joined her and they began down a series of stairs and passage ways.


	4. Chapter 4 - Koopas!

**CHAPTER 4 – KOOPAS!**

The front doors to the castle burst open and in marched a large figured. His skin was yellow and a green-spiked shell adorned his back. He had giant, clawed appendages and a tuft of red hair on his head with a set of horns. He stormed through the dark hallway and stopped abruptly at the end. He took an unlit torch off the wall and threw it before him.

The cage came crashing down and the great beast laughed. "Nice try, plumbers! How dumb do you think I am?" A few snickers behind joined him and he glared in their direction. The lights flickered on and he turned to the seven shorter figures. "Split up! Find the princess!" he ordered.

The smaller beings all ran off in different directions of the castle in search of the princess. Bowser stomped his way up the stairs and through the door marked with the star. He roughed opened it, causing it to splinter, and marching into the room before him. To his demise, it was empty.

"She must be around here somewhere," he mumbled. He went back out and stood at the top of the stairs. "Koopas!" he called and his voice echoed in the foyer. The seven came back and lined up in the foyer before him. "Any sign of her?"

One with pink glasses stepped forward. "Sorry, bad king daddy-o. She's nowhere to be found."

Bowser growled and stomped his foot causing the place to shake lightly. "She couldn't have gotten far! Search her room upstairs for any sign of where she went!"

The seven Koopalings joined their father upstairs and tore apart the room. One with a thick, light blue Mohawk noticed a scuff mark on the floor near the windows. "King Dad," he called. "I think she went over here!"

Bowser examined the mark. "I think you may be right, Larry," he said. He felt around the walls but found nothing. Bowser thought, then touched the stain glass and his hand went through. "Ah ha!" He whistled. "Let's go kids!"

Bowser jumped through the glass with the Koopalings close behind. They found themselves in a hallway that branched off in three ways. "Oh, now what?" the only female Koopa whined. Her head was adorned with a large pink polka dot bow.

"Lemmy, Iggy, take the left," Bowser ordered. The Koopa with rainbow hair and the other with green hair and thick glasses nodded and took off down the hallway. "Morton, Roy, the right." The Koopa with the pink glasses nodded and took off with a larger, darker colored Koopa. "Everyone else, follow me."

"Dad, why are you having three of us follow you?" Larry asked.

"Because, if I know that princess, and I do, she's always easy to find," Bowser said and lead the way.

"She better be!" the female whined. "You interrupted my manicure for this nonsense!"

The remaining Koopa with thick, dark blue hair rolled his eyes. "Quit whining, Wendy. Not everything is about you."

Wendy turned and glared at him. "How dare you say such a thing?"

"Bite me," he said sarcastically.

"Oh, don't think I won't!"

"Enough," Bowser said. He pointed at the steel door in front of them. "Ludwig, quit making her whine more than she already does and do your magic."

Ludwig pulled out a long but thin metal rod. Being a Koopa, he used his fire breath to heat it up some. He stuck the rod in the keyhole and heated it the rest of the way. The metal melted and perfected filled each crevice of the lock as it cooled. Ludwig turned the newly-made key.

The door swung open to reveal a small room. In the corner stood the princess. Someone else cowered behind her. "Stay back, Bowser!" she said sternly.

He laughed along with his Koopalings. "Now why would I do that? Do you think you intimidate me?" Peach glared at him. Bowser noticed the movement behind the princess again. "Hello, what do we have here?" Peach desperately tried to block Vitani from Bowser's view but he simply pushed her aside. He chuckled. "Ah, who is your lovely friend?"

"You leave her alone!" Peach yelled.

Vitani shook at the sight of the four creatures before her. "What are you looking at?" Wendy snapped. "Ain't you ever seen a Koopa before?"

Bowser approached Vitani who in turn tried to step further back. "Scared of the big bad Koopa are we?" A chorus of laughs came behind him and Vitani saw that there were even more Koopas in the room. They all circled around her.

Peach beat her fists against Bowser's arm. "I said leave her alone! It's me you want!"

Bowser raised an eyebrow at her. "Now why should I capture you again? So that troublesome plumber of yours can ruin everything? No, she'll do nicely. A change of pace, if you will." He pushed Peach away from his arm and eyed his kids. Ludwig was absentmindedly staring off. "Ludwig!" Bowser roared.

Ludiwg jumped then acted more interested in what was going on. "Sorry, King Dad."

Bowser looked at the trembling girl before him. "What's your name?"

"Vitani…" she whispered.

"Hmm, very unique," he said. He looked to his Koopalings again. "Since I am feeling a bit generous today, I will let you select which Koopa you would like to be your captor. Choose wisely."

Vitani looked around at the Koopas. Bowser was terrifying. The one with sunglasses and the other with a star on his face looked downright mean. The female glared in hatred. The ones with rainbow, light blue, and green hair looked crazy and she did not like the looks they were giving her. There was only one left.

"I choose him," she said softly. "Ludwig."

Ludiwg raised an eyebrow at the girl but proceeded to approach her. He placed an arm behind her back, the other under her legs, and effortlessly picked her up.

"Back to the ship!" Bowser ordered and the group filed out of the room, leaving the princess in shock.


	5. Chapter 5 - Captive

**CHAPTER FIVE – CAPTIVE**

Bowser and the Koopalings made their way back onto the airship. Vitani was scared and didn't know what to expect being captured. A memory suddenly flashed before her eyes of feeling trapped but not being able to run. She whimpered and nestled closer to her captor.

Ludwig was going to question the sudden closeness, but didn't after he noticed wetness trailing down Vitani's cheeks. He adjusted her in his arms so she could be closer still to him. This was his way of offering her comfort, because he wasn't sure of what else to do.

Vitani looked up and really observed Ludwig for the first time. Like Bowser and his siblings, he had a very reptilian yet somehow human look to him. Ludwig glanced down and their eyes met. Vitani saw a warmth deep within his eyes and she couldn't look away. He broke the contact after a few moments and focused on the airship in front of him. Vitani sighed and laid her head against his chest. The steady thumping soon lulled her to sleep in the Koopa's arms.

Ludwig looked down at the sleeping figure he had cradled in his arms. He felt himself begin to feel pity for the girl. She already looked so fragile and worn; she didn't need to be captured by Koopas. Ludwig pushed the thoughts from his mind. "No," he thought, "she's a prisoner. Nothing more."

"Ludwig."

"Yes, King Dad?" he asked.

"Since the girl chose you, you get the duty of being her prison guard. I want you to put her in your dungeon cell," Bowser said.

"Yes, King Dad."

Wendy gave Ludwig an evil smirk. "I have an even better idea, Daddykins! We should make her a slave and have our way with her, especially Luddi!" A few of the other Koopas sounded in agreement.

Bowser eyed the girl. "No," he said which earned disappointed groans from the Koopas. "She's just going to be a prisoner."

The airship landed and the Koopas marched off and went their separate ways. Ludwig walked down the hallway that lead to the dungeon and carried Vitani down the stairs. He used his fire to light a few of the torches on the walls and went to the last cell, his own when Bowser banished him to it. On the floor laid a dingy old mattress that was against the wall. He shuddered at the sight of the chains hanging from it that Bowser used to keep them from escaping as easily and placed her on the pad below. He exited and shut the door, locking it behind him before going back up the stairs.

A pair of eyes watched in the shadows from another cell. Once they heard the door at the top of the stairs click shut, Larry crept out. "Dad can say all he wants about her being just a prisoner, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him," he thought and snickered lightly.

Larry took out one of the spare keys and unlocked the door. The bars swung open with a faint creak. He paused and listened for any signs of approaching footsteps but heard none. He eyed the sleeping figure on the floor and knelt down beside her. Larry lightly ran his hands across her body. "Hmm, not bad at all for a human girl," he thought. "This dress is going to get in my way though." He took his claws and ripped through the delicate material.

The ripped sound woke Vitani. Her eyes shot open in shock and she went to scream, but Larry placed a piece of the dress in her mouth as he held her hands above her head. "Now, now," he said softly. "It will be over before you know it."

Tears streamed down her face and she struggled to break free, but his hold on her was too strong. Larry stuck out his reptilian tongue and trailed it across the exposed skin. He lingered around her neck and placed kisses upon it before sharply biting down. Vitani's body jumped as pain shot through her. Larry took one of his claws and ripped off the remaining threads of her undergarments and let his tongue explore her chest. She noticed the hand that wasn't holding her hands down was between his legs rubbing. His tongue trailed down his stomach and lightly grazed her nether region. He laughed lightly. "Mmm, I don't understand why dad doesn't want you as his sex slave… You're so fine…" He positioned himself over top of her and looked straight into her eyes. "This may only hurt a lot…"

Vitani waited in fear for what was to come, but all she felt was Larry being lifted off of her. She looked up to see Larry dangling by his neck with his hands to his throat desperately trying to pry off the hands the encompassed it. Vitani saw a very angry Ludwig strangling Larry and gasped. At this, Ludwig decided to put him down. "Just what do you think you're doing?!" Ludwig roared.

Larry rubbed at his neck. "Aww, come on, bro, don't act like you wouldn't want to do the same thing to her. Besides, you can't keep her all to yourself."

Ludwig glared hard at him. "No, I do not want to _rape_ her! Even if I did want to, I would be keeping her to myself. In case dad hadn't made this clear earlier, she is _my_ prisoner, not yours. If I find you or anyone else trying some stunt like this again, you better hope dad is going to spare you because I won't!" He grabbed Larry's neck again and drug the Koopa down the hall into another cell. Ludwig grabbed the chain on the wall and tethered Larry to it and slammed the door shut. He came back to where Vitani was huddled in the corner, shaking and trying to cover herself. He looked at her with pity. "I'm sorry he tried doing that to you. I should have known one of them was going to try something. Here," he handed her a blanket and turned around while she covered herself.

"Thank you, Ludwig," she whispered quietly.

He approached her and picked her up like before. "Come on, I can't keep an eye on you here." He carried her up the stairs into the throne room and stood before Bowser. "The prisoner is staying in my room, King Dad."

Bowser eyed the bundled Vitani and the marks on her neck. "What happened?" he asked shocked.

"Larry happened, that's what. I chained him in the basement."

"Good," Bowser said. "Leave it to one of my boys to defy my orders…" he muttered.


	6. Chapter 6 - Vision

**CHAPTER 6 – VISION**

Ludwig carried Vitani down a hallway and opened the door at the end. He walked over to the great bed and set her down on it before going back to his door and locking it. There was a desk in the one corner and he fished around for something and pulled out a scepter. "Do you have much left of your dress?" he asked lightly.

Vitani shifted around and handed him the remaining shreds out from under the blanket. "Not much…" she said quietly then eyed the wand. "What are you going to do with that?" she asked.

Ludwig didn't answer and mumbled something under his breath as he waved his wand. A beam enveloped the shreds of material and Vitani watched in amazement as the dress quickly reformed in his hand. He handed it back to her and shrugged. "Yeah, I can do magic," he stated. "All of my siblings and I learned at a young age. I don't use it for much anymore." He walked back over to the desk and hid away the scepter. He came back over and stood in front of her. "Would you like to bathe?" he asked.

Vitani nodded. "Sure, that sounds nice," she said softly. "Wait, you won't be watching, will you?"

Ludwig smirked. "Nah, I don't have a reason to. I'm not a pervert like Larry." He walked into an adjoining room and Vitani heard water running. He came back out. "I'll be back in a couple minutes, I promise," he said and left.

Vitani saw a mirror hanging on the wall and carefully walked over to it. She placed her hand to the puncture wounds on her neck and winced. The area was already badly bruised with dried blood trailing down her neck and she shuddered.

Ludwig returned and he had a bunch of bottles with him. "Figured you'd want something more feminine, so I went to Wendy." He saw she was holding the mark on her neck and sighed. "Come on, go get yourself cleaned up and I'll give you something to help that heal." He placed the bottles on the edge of the tub and turned off the water. "Call me if you need anything," he said and closed the door. A moment later it reopened and he placed her newly mended dress on the ground. "Might want that…" he muttered and the door shut again.

Vitani looked at the bottles he brought in. They were a bunch of scented oils and washes. She poured a little of a lavender one into the water and inhaled at the sweet smell. Vitani let the blanket drop to the floor and climbed into the warm water and tried to relax. Feeling the water envelop her brought her a kind of comfort in this strange place. She moved her hand and watched as the water trailed after it. Vitani sank down further and submerged her head so that her hair was wet and waved with the ripples.

She felt her mind start to wander and soon found herself in a peaceful place. It looked familiar somehow, but she couldn't quite remember how she knew it. She looked around and saw a figure perched on a well. Vitani approached the figure and tapped their shoulder. "Excuse me, do you know where I am?" The figure turned its head and Vitani gasped. She was looking at herself, except her double's eyes had no color.

The shock startled her and she screamed out, finding herself back in the tub. The door burst open and Ludwig appeared. "Are you alright?" he asked. Once he realized where he was and that Vitani was naked, he covered his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said embarrassed.

Vitani shook lightly. "Yeah, I'm okay…" she said quietly.

"Okay?" Ludwig said disbelieving. He turned to walk out, still covering his eyes and ran into the wall. "Ow…" The door shut once more.

Vitani laughed lightly at the sight of him and how embarrassed he was and knew she should have been too. She sighed and brought her legs up to her chest in the water and held them there. "Why would I see something like that?" she thought. After a while, she decided to let it go for now and clean up.

Out in his room, Ludwig was sitting at his desk looking at the paper in front of him. He loved writing music and was in the middle of composing when she suddenly screamed. "Wonder what that was about…" he muttered. He tried to regain his inspiration but it was shattered. He sighed and looked at his room and it dawned on him that this girl was going to be sleeping in his room and blushed lightly.

The bathroom door opened and Vitani came out in her dress. She had her hair brushed out and it fell in small waves. "Thank you," she said to Ludwig and smiled lightly.

Ludwig gazed out the window. "It's getting late," he said. "You should get some rest."

Vitani blushed lightly. "Am I sleeping with you? I mean, not like that, but in your bed…" she said nervously. Ludwig nodded and she climbed into the giant bed under the heavy covers. "Aren't you going to sleep?"

He shook his head. "Not yet." He turned and went back to composing. Vitani watched as he scribbled at his desk and slowly drifted off.


	7. Chapter 7 - Music

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry I know it's been a while. I got writers' block and then I've been extremely busy. Not sure when the next chapter will be either. P.S. I don't own the song included in here!**

 **CHAPTER SEVEN – MUSIC**

Vitani slowly opened her eyes and gazed upon the spiked shell that was sitting at the desk still scribbling away. "Morning… Did you sleep at all?" she asked Ludwig.

He shrugged. "Couple hours. I'm used to it."

"You really should get more rest."

Ludwig turned to face her and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you concerned about my sleeping habits?"

"…I don't know…"

He gave her a disbelieving look. "Anyway, would you like to get out of this room for a little while?"

"I guess."

He stood up. "Let's go."

Vitani's eyes widened. "Now? I just woke up…" She grumbled and swung her feet over the edge of the bed and walked to where he was waiting. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said. Ludwig reached up to the torch on the wall and pulled it sideways. Something clicked and the stone wall began to move revealing a stair case. He gestured for her to go first and she took a few steps and watched as he hit a switch on this side of the wall and the secret door closed. He brushed past her and began to ascend the dark stairs.

Vitani followed closely, not liking this strange atmosphere, which was saying a lot considering she was in a castle filled with Koopas. They soon reached the top and Ludwig triggered another switch which moved the wall at the top and granting them access. Vitani stepped inside and gasped. They were in a large room filled with many musical instruments, but what caught her attention most was the black, glistening grand piano in the middle of it all, and she yearned to touch the ivory.

Ludwig chuckled at her reaction. "I'm guessing you like?" Vitani nodded. "Look out the window."

Vitani went over to the window and looked out. They were very high up in a tower that over looked the surrounding valley and other parts of the castle. For the valley being shrouded in shadow, it still held a stunning view. "Oh, wow…" she breathed.

"I come here to get away from my siblings," Ludwig said. "The way we came up is the only entrance to this tower." He sat on the bench in front of the piano and ran his fingers over the keys lightly. He began to play a soft melody.

Vitani approached him and sat on a nearby chair and watched how his hands effortlessly glided over the keys. The melody took a darker turn and increased in speed and volume. Ludwig's hands became a blur as he played the tune and then abruptly stopped. The previous slow melody returned for a few moments then finished. "That's beautiful," Vitani praised. "Who wrote it?"

Ludwig smirked at her. "I did, of course."

"How long did it take you to write it?"

Ludwig laughed. "I wrote it all yesterday after you got here."

Vitani's jaw dropped. "Wow… What was the inspiration behind it?"

"Things being out of reach."

Vitani was going to question further but decided not to push it. She got up and placed herself beside him on the bench. "May I?" He nodded and she ran her fingers over the keys. Something about it made her feel comforted; it felt familiar. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and began to play.

Ludwig watched in awe as her own melody poured from her fingers and expressed herself through the keys. He placed his fingers back on the keys and began to compliment her melody with his.

The two songs blended together without effort. Vitani continued to let her song escalate until she came to the end. She rested her hands in her lap and smiled at Ludwig.

Ludwig smiled back. "Now you get to answer the same questions you asked me: how long did it take to write and what was your inspiration?"

Vitani gave him an apologetic look. "I'm not sure… It just came to me as I played."

Ludwig look perplexed. "So technically speaking you wrote that just now? Amazing…" he breathed and looked into her eyes. "I have never met someone who understood and felt music the way I do…"

"Neither have I," Vitani said softly. "It's amazing how you can find the one who understands you when you're not looking for them." She realized what she said and apologized. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like I completely understand you…"

"It's alright," he said and chuckled.

Vitani sighed and looked around the room at the other instruments. "You can play all those?" she asked.

"Yes, but I've always found piano to be my favorite," he said and played a couple quick notes. "For me, it's just more effortless and I feel like I can better express myself."

Vitani smiled. "Can you play another song for me?"

"Sure," he said and positioned his hands on the keys.

This song was a bit more upbeat and Vitani closed her eyes and fully listened to the notes as they rang through the air. Her hands found their way to the keys and this time she accompanied his song.

Ludwig eyed her and smirked. He began to mix up the melody and blend some of his other songs together. "Think you can keep up?" he teased.

"I think the better question is if you can," Vitani said.

The two went into a battle of melodies. One would play a strong melody while the other accompanied, then the latter would switch it up and the first had to catch the change.

The battle continued for a while and then Vitani raised her hands up off the keys. "Alright, you win… This time anyway," she added and laughed. "You ever sing?"

Ludwig blushed. "I'm not the greatest… I envy those who can express with both music and vocals. I was only strongly gifted with music. Can't complain that much, I suppose. What about you?"

Vitani shrugged. "I'm alright at it, but I don't like to sing in front of people."

Ludwig nudged her. "Well now that you mentioned it, you can't back out now."

She sighed and bowed her head lightly. "I guess…" Vitani touched her hands to the keys and began another melody and began to sing with it.

 _I can understand how when the edges are rough_

 _And they cut you like tiny slivers of glass_

 _And you feel too much_

 _And don't know how long you're gonna last_

 _But everyone you know_

 _Is trying to smooth it over_

 _Find a way to make the hurt go away_

 _Everyone you know_

 _Is trying to smooth it over_

 _Like you're trying to scream underwater_

 _I won't let you make the great escape_

 _You're not gonna watch me check out of this place_

 _You're not gonna lose me_

' _Cause the passion and pain_

 _Are gonna keep you alive someday_

Ludwig stared at her with awe. "Wow…"

Vitani blushed. "It's not that great…"

He eyed her. "Are you kidding me? For someone such as I who appreciates music, it was amazing! And the song you picked, quite deep. What's it called?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, did you write it?" he asked.

"I don't think so," she said. "It just came to me, but it seems familiar, like I've known it forever."

"Hmm…" Ludwig turned and glanced at the clock on the wall and laughed. "Would you believe we battled it out for two hours?"

Vitani laughed with him. "It didn't seem like much at all, though! I guess that's what happens when you get into playing."

"You don't have to tell me," he said. "There's times I'm up here all night and I don't notice until the sun starts blinding me."

She laughed. "Wow, you're such a nerd…"

He faked being hurt. "Ouch…"

"There's nothing wrong with being a nerd," she said.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said. "We should probably head back down."

"Yeah," Vitani said. "I was kind of hoping I'd get to eat soon anyway."

Ludwig opened the door. "Hey, you saw how I got in here right?"

"Yeah, what about it?" she asked.

"Feel free to come up anytime you like and play."

Vitani was a bit surprised. "Thank you." Ludwig stepped aside as she walked back into his room and he sealed the wall shut.


	8. Chapter 8 - The Others

**CHAPTER 8 – THE OTHERS**

"Now, you mentioned about wanting something to eat?" Ludwig asked.

Vitani nodded. "Yes, I'm quite famished."

"I can bring something to you, or you can accompany me to breakfast with the family."

Vitani frowned. "As much as I would like to hide in your room, I think I should just face them. Going to have to at some point, right?"

He looked at her sympathetically. "I know my siblings aren't the nicest. We grew up being taught mischief all our lives, so manners kind of got skipped over. Being royalty does not help that fact, either, since they all lack in that department as well. Don't worry, I'll be right next to you the whole time." He opened his door and gestured to the hallway. "Shall we?"

Vitani went to step out, but hesitated. "What if one of your brother tries to…" She trailed off as a shudder went through her body at the thought of what had happened to her down in the dungeon.

Ludwig carefully turned her towards him and lifted her head to meet his eyes. "I was careless. I should have known one of them was going to pull a stunt like that, but now I promise you that I will not let anything close to that happen to you ever again. You may be stuck here as a prisoner, but I refuse to not treat you with the proper respect a lady deserves. I will protect you, no matter what the cost."

Vitani looked into his eyes and felt a tiny flutter in her chest. _He wants to protect me…?_ she thought. She broke the eye contact by nodding. "Okay," she said. "I trust you."

Ludwig gave her a smile before gently giving her a nudge to exit. He closed the door to his room and stepped into stride with her. He had to slow his pace greatly to stay next to her, but he didn't mind. He led Vitani to the great dining hall where the found the rest of the Koopa family already sitting, most of them looking rather agitated.

"Finally! We were wondering if you were going to show up before we starved to death!" Wendy complained.

"You know King Dad doesn't let us eat until we're all here!" Morton grumbled.

Ludwig rolled his eyes. "Sorry, but we got caught up and lost track of time. We're only fifteen minutes late." He walked over to his seat at Bower's left hand, with Vitani following close behind.

"What were you caught up with?" Wendy said with a giant smirk. "Getting 'well acquainted'?" She and a couple others snickered at the meaning.

Larry pouted. "How come he gets to fu-"

He was cut off with an angry roar from Bowser. "Watch your mouths! We are not having this discussion at the table!" Bowser rubbed at his temples. "Some days, I swear…" he muttered.

Ludwig looked at Vitani with a slight blush. "I'm sorry about that…" he said apologetically. He then looked to his chair and realized that it wouldn't work for her. It was built for Koopas, not humans, so she wouldn't be able to reach anything. He sat down and gestured to his lap. "Sorry, but this will have to work for today."

Vitani blushed as she climbed up on to his lap. "It's okay. I'd rather be here than near any of the others…" she whispered to him. Ludwig protectively wrapped an arm around her to help support her. Across the table, Larry pouted even more.

Breakfast was served after a couple claps from Bowser. Some Koopa-Troopas emerged from the kitchen with a cart that carried a giant platter with a domed cover. It was placed in front of Bowser, since the king always got first selection. The platter was then passed to Ludwig.

"What would you like?" he asked Vitani. "Get what you want now, because believe me, there won't be anything left by the time it gets back here."

Vitani looked at the different selections. It was like choosing from a buffet, there were so many things to choose from. She settled on a couple pastries and what appeared to be some kind of fruit. Ludwig selected what he wanted and passed the rest of the food down.

Vitani awkwardly nibbled on one of the pastries as she looked around the table. While Ludwig's siblings looked less threatening than they did yesterday, she was still scared of them and what they might do to her. All in all, though, they looked like a normal family eating breakfast. She watched as the one with the blue Mohawk fought with the one with rainbow hair over the last pastry. The female that she knew as Wendy was down towards the end of the table grimacing at the table manners of the one with the star on his face as he shoveled food into his mouth and making a huge mess.

She couldn't help but shake her head at that one and heard Ludwig chuckle. "Quite appalling, isn't it?" he said quietly to her. "Glad I don't sit down there?"

She nodded. "For being a royal family, you sure don't act like it. I expected this to be all formal or something."

Ludwig nearly choked on his food with a laugh. "Formal? Them? I don't think anything could save their table manners."

Vitani giggled and continued to eat. She was honestly surprised that this wasn't as bad as she had expected. She got a few looks here and there from Ludwig's siblings, but overall, they left her alone and focused on the meal in front of them.

Once everyone was almost finished, Bowser cleared his throat. Just as he did, Roy threw a glob of food that hit Iggy right in the face. "Roy!" Bowser roared and then shook his head before continuing on with what he wanted to say. "As you all know, we have a new prisoner within our castle. Now, I'm saying prisoner a little loosely, because she shall still be respected and treated as a lady. Is that clear?" he said sternly while glaring at Larry in particular. They all nodded. "Good. You may leave."

The scraping of chairs was heard as the Koopalings exited the dining hall. Vitani slid off of Ludwig's lap and he got up to leave as well. They walked down the corridor towards Ludwig's room. Ludwig looked to Vitani. "That wasn't as bad as you thought, was it?"

Vitani shook her head. "No, just chaotic. Very chaotic…"

Ludwig couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, well you better get used to it now because that isn't going to change."

"Great…" she said sarcastically as she turned to stand in front of Ludwig's door and waited for him to open it. "Did you ask your father to say that about me?" she asked.

Ludwig opened the door and shook his head. "No, I did not. Nonetheless, I'm happy he did. We normally hold Princess Toadstool captive here, and he does not allow any form of disrespect towards her. Naturally, he wouldn't allow the same for another lady."

Vitani found her thoughts beginning to drift off. _Maybe Bowser isn't really as scary as he looks…_ she thought as she stepped into Ludwig's room and he closed the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 9 - Lemmy

**CHAPTER NINE – LEMMY**

A knock sounded on the door and Ludwig strolled over to answer it. A Koopa-Troopa stood outside. "The King requests your company in the throne room, and would prefer you to come alone," the Troopa said, eyeing Vitani.

Ludwig looked scared for a moment. "How long does he wish to speak with me?" he asked.

The Troopa shrugged. "He didn't say."

Ludwig sighed. "Tell him that I will be there shortly." The Koopa-Troopa quickly bowed and took off down the corridor. Ludwig looked at Vitani. "What am I suppose to do with you?" he asked.

"I could stay in your music room for a bit," she commented.

He shook his head. "I still don't trust my brothers. They know about that room, and if they find out you're up there alone, I'm sure they'll find a way to get to you."

"So then what?"

"I'm going to have to have one of my siblings stay with you for a bit," he said. "I would prefer it to be Wendy, but she left an hour ago to go shopping, and god only knows when she'll be back."

"Couldn't I stay with some guards?" Vitani asked.

"Are you kidding me? Against one of my brothers, those guards are useless. I'm just going to have to put you with one that I feel would be the least threatening to your safety…" He trailed off and began to ponder his options.

"Please not the one with sunglasses or the one with the star on his face," Vitani said.

"You mean Roy and Morton? Nah, Roy would just leave you alone somewhere because he doesn't care about anyone but himself. Morton would probably talk you to death."

"Besides that, would Morton try anything with me?" she asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. He still is a teenage male Koopa, though. I got it. I'll ask Lemmy," he said.

"Lemmy?" Vitani asked, still confused about who was who.

"Lemmy is the one with the rainbow hair and the crazed look on his face," Ludwig answered.

"Shouldn't that be warning enough?"

Ludwig smiled lightly. "You don't know Lemmy. He's crazy, but not in a bad way. Yes, he's second born, but he's… How should I put this? Since he was born, he never entirely matured mentally, so he still has a very childish side. That being said, I think he'd just want you to play with him, in an innocent way, of course."

Vitani looked at him with doubt. "If you say so…"

He looked at her sadly. "Hey, I don't want to do this as much as you. I'm sorry that I have to."

"It's not your fault," she said quietly.

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," he said and gestured towards the door. "Well, guess we should go find Lemmy and see if he'll keep you company for a bit."

He walked out the door with Vitani following close behind him. He stopped two doors down from his own and knocked on it. The rainbow-haired Koopa opened it and had a silly grin on his face. "Hi, Ludwig!" He noticed Vitani behind him and gasped. "Hi! What's your name?"

Vitani smiled lightly. "Vitani."

Lemmy bounced over to her and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you! I'm Lemmy! Come, on! You have to see some of my tricks!" He grabbed her arm and pulled her into his room.

"Tricks?" Vitani questioned Ludwig as she was pulled past him.

"Just watch," Ludwig called after her.

"Here, you can sit on my bed," Lemmy said and ran across the room. He grabbed a circus ball and jumped on top of it. He began to roll himself around the room.

Vitani was already quite impressed with his sense of balance. "Oh, wow…"

Lemmy laughed. "I haven't even started yet!" He centered himself in his room on the ball and proceeded to flip backwards into a hand stand. He rolled around using his hands to move the ball. Lemmy stopped and took one hand out from under himself. He stayed like this for a few moments before righting himself back onto his feet.

"Wow, he's so agile…" Vitani commented.

Ludwig smiled. "That's Lemmy for you," he said. "Speaking of, hey, Lemmy, can you come here?"

Lemmy rolled over to the bed where Ludwig and Vitani sat. "How'd you like my trick?" he asked Vitani excitedly.

Vitani smiled at him. "It was quite impressive. You have an amazing sense of balance."

"Thank you," he said and did a small bow. "So what did you need, Ludwig?" he asked.

"King Dad requested my presence in the throne room for a little while. I was wondering if you could keep Vitani here company," Ludwig said.

"Sure!" he said and jumped on his ball a couple times, clapping. "We're going to have so much fun!"

"But remember, Lemmy," Ludwig said sternly. "Do not let anyone else near her while I am gone."

"Yes, Ludwig!" Lemmy said cheerfully.

Ludwig turned to Vitani. "I'll come get you as soon as I'm done speaking with my father. Have fun, he's harmless."

"I'll try," Vitani said and gave him a small smile as she watched him exit the room and shut the door.

"I have another trick for you!" Lemmy said. Vitani turned to see he was back in the middle of the floor but he had three pins in his hands. He began to juggle them and still roll himself around the room. He quickly tossed all the pins high in the air as he did a front flip off the ball. Lemmy landed in a kneeling position and proceeded to catch the pins one by one as they fell from the air.

Vitani clapped. "Wow, that was amazing!"

Lemmy quickly bowed again and pull his equipment away. He bounded back over to the bed where she sat and jumped up to sit next to her. "Thanks! I love when I have someone new to entertain! My siblings see my tricks all the time and get quite bored of them."

Vitani smiled at him. "Well, feel free to show me any tricks whenever you want."

"Really?" he beamed. "Thanks, umm, Vitani right?"

"Yes."

"That's a really pretty name," he said and smiled at her.

"Thank you, Lemmy," she replied. "I like yours, too. It's unique."

"Yeah, it's not boring like Roy's," he said laughing.

She laughed. "Yeah, I'll have to agree with you on that one."

"I'm happy to have someone to play with," he said. "Everyone else always thinks I'm too childish." He looked at the floor and sighed. "Wanna know a little secret?"

"Sure," she said.

His face got serious. "This is really me," he said in a lower voice. Vitani looked a bit shocked and he laughed lightly. "Yeah, I know, it's not fitting considering my tiny body. Everyone has always treated me like a child because I didn't develop as quickly as everyone else, in regards to mentality and physique. But I'm not like that anymore."

"So why didn't you reveal it to anyone?" she asked, lightly.

He shrugged. "I've been treated like this for so many years that I figured it would be useless to try to change it. I'm still going to be considered the 'weakling' or told I'm 'too scrawny' or 'just a kid in an adult's body'." He sighed. "I'm a lot stronger than I look." He got off the bed and turned to face it. He lifted it while Vitani was still on it with ease.

Vitani squeeled a little because she wasn't expecting to go up into the air. "Holy cow, I guess you are!" she said.

He set her back down and sat next to her again. "Yeah, all those years of acrobatics really paid off, but it still won't matter to my siblings how strong I am or how I've changed mentally." Lemmy looked at the ground and a tear rolled down his face which he quickly wiped away, hoping Vitani didn't notice.

She did and felt sorry for the Koopa. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, minding the spikes on his shell. "It's okay…" she said lightly to him. Lemmy was a little shocked with the sudden contact but accepted the hug. Vitani pulled back enough to look at his face. "I think you should tell them at some point. Why should you have to compromise who you are for others?"

He smiled at her. "You're right. I've been getting tired of acting like this. Doesn't mean I'm giving up my acrobatics though."

She laughed. "No, it doesn't mean you have to. You should tell your siblings when you're ready about how you really are. Don't try to rush it."

"Thanks, Vitani. Please keep this between us for now, though, okay?"

"I will. Now how about a game?" she asked with a smile.

"I'd like that," Lemmy replied.


	10. Chapter 10 - Background

**CHAPTER TEN – BACKGROUND**

After about a half hour, Lemmy's door opened to reveal Ludwig. "Sorry if that took a while," he said when Vitani looked over at him.

She smiled. "No, it's perfectly fine. Lemmy here is quite entertaining."

Lemmy smiled at her. "Thanks! I just like having someone new and interesting around!"

Vitani got up from the bed and walked over to the door to where Ludwig stood. She looked back towards Lemmy. "Thank you for keeping me company for a bit."

"It was no problem! Come back soon!"

Vitani gave him a wink and mouthed "Don't wait forever to tell them."

He smiled sincerely at her. "I won't," he mouthed back.

Vitani walked alongside Ludwig down the hallway. "What did you dad want to speak to you about?" she questioned.

Ludwig avoided looking at her and tried to speak calmly. "Nothing, really. Just wondering how you're adjusting so far and telling me of his upcoming plans for the Mushroom Kingdom."

Vitani raised an eyebrow. "You mean you're going to attack them again?"

Ludwig stopped in front of his door and opened it. "Yes, not quite yet, but very soon." He stepped aside to let her in before following behind her and shutting his door.

She frowned at him. "It is really necessary to do that?"

"For my father, yes."

"What do you mean?"

He looked at her sincerely. "I don't particularly like going on his crazy missions anymore. I grew out of it a long time ago. Unfortunately, because I'm the oldest and first in line to the throne, he expects me to carry on his legacy. I go with him and try to act interested."

Vitani thought back to when they captured her yesterday and chuckled. "You weren't doing such a good job pretending yesterday."

He smiled lightly. "I let guard down a bit because I didn't think anyone was really paying attention to me at the time. King Dad still noticed though, and apparently you did, too."

"That's part of why I chose you as my captor," Vitani said lightly. "You seemed really disinterested and the least threatening out of everyone."

"Then you chose very wisely," he said. "I'm surprised you were even allowed to choose. It was very unlike my father to say something like that."

"I'm just glad I wasn't forced with Larry…" she whispered and shuddered.

Ludwig laughed lightly. "Even if you were assigned a captor, it wouldn't have been him. King Dad still finds him too young and not mature enough to properly attend to a prisoner. If anything, you would have gotten assigned me, Wendy, or Morton. Wendy can be mean, but if you talk about girly stuff, she'll open up to you. Morton just loves to talk your ears off. Pretty harmless overall."

"What about the others?" Vitani asked.

"Well, you know about Lemmy. Larry is a huge pervert and very immature. He thinks he's so bad and a gift to all the ladies," Ludwig said and rolled his eyes. "Roy can be the same with thinking he's super cool, but he's more a bully than anything. He does have a soft spot, but have fun getting on his good side to see it. As for Iggy, just steer clear of him for the most part. He loves to conduct a lot of weird experiments, so if you don't want to be a test subject or caught in the crossfires of an explosion, I recommend staying away."

"You have an interesting family," Vitani commented. "I can't imagine having six siblings. I'm an only child. I feel like one would be too many."

Ludwig laughed. "It does get annoying having so many siblings, but they've grown up a lot compared to what they used to be. Besides, I stay in here enough that it can feel like I'm the only one." Ludwig thought for a moment. "Thinking bad, I'd say it was ideal when Lemmy was first born and it was just the two of us. It was nice having someone a lot closer to my age to play with, even though I am still three years older. Taking care of him often fell to me, however…" Ludwig trailed off.

"What about your mother?" Vitani asked curiously. "Surely taking care of a sibling shouldn't have been your job."

"Our mother is… MIA a lot. She visits when she can, but she couldn't be around enough to take care of us all."

"What's so important that she can't take care of her own kids?" Vitani asked, slightly angered at the nerve this mysterious woman had.

Ludwig sighed and looked down. "What's more important is inconspicuously running a kingdom so as not to be overthrown."

Vitani thought for a moment. "Wait, so your mother is…" she trailed off in shock.

Ludwig nodded. "Princess Toadstool, the woman you were with before we captured you."

Vitani's mouth hung open in shock. "But how?"

"Dad never really planned to have kids, originally," he said. "He mainly captured her so that he could intimidate her to sign her kingdom over to him. Somewhere along the line, they fell in love."

"They fell in love?" Vitani asked. "When I spoke with her earlier, she mentioned that Mario guy and acted as if though she fancied him."

Ludwig shook his head. "It's an act, for appearances sake. If anyone in her kingdom knew, she would be overthrown."

"But why not have an alliance between her kingdom and this one, or even step down?"

"No one would ever accept it, and she knew her subjects are too helpless to go on without a good ruler."

"Subjects?"

"They're called Toads, and they're pretty mindless for the most part. They couldn't even get her back from here until the plumber stumbled his way into this world."

"Mario, he is not king, right?"

Ludwig shook his head again. "No, he is not. As I said, her feelings for him are merely an act, yet he still stays around her hoping one day they'll be married, or something like that. Had she not developed feelings for my father during the time she was captured, things may have worked in his favor."

"I see," Vitani commented. "What happened when she fell pregnant for the first time with you?"

"Being that they are two completely different beings with different DNA, they had never thought it was possible for her to conceive. When she told dad, he freaked out pretty bad," he said and chuckled at the thought. "But they were oh so happy about it. I was born, and together they raised me. When I was about a year and a half, the plumber showed up and 'rescued' her. She was completely heartbroken to have to leave us, yet deep down she knew she had to for her people." Ludwig sighed sadly. "It wasn't easy for me to accept that my mother raised me for so long and suddenly vanished. Dad said I cried for her for weeks, and he held me as he cried for her too. That's when the schemes began to get her back. She tries her best to help get herself captured so that she can come back and visit us, but it still isn't easy. I know she truly wants to be here with us. It was a lot easier on the others being born and her not around because they weren't raised by her as long as I was. While dad tried everything to get her back, I became the one responsible for taking care of my siblings."

Vitani wiped a couple tears off of her cheeks. "I'm so sorry… That's so sad. I hope one day she can stay here with you."

Ludwig smiled at her sadly. "It would be nice if she could be here permanently, but we're already so grown up. Her heart already breaks knowing she missed out on so much of our lives." He paused for a moment. "What's your story?"

"I wish I knew. I can't remember a thing," she said sadly. "But maybe it's a good thing I don't. I feel like where I came from wasn't such a nice place, and perhaps this was my escape."

"Some escape if you're still a prisoner here," Ludwig said softly.

"It's not as bad as it could be," she said and placed her hand on top of his.

Ludwig looked at her hand on top of his. "You still deserve to be free."

She shrugged. "Maybe this is just how things were meant to work out."

He smiled at her. "Maybe…"


	11. Chapter 11 - Magic

**Chapter 11 - Magic**

Vitani realized how long they had been staring at each other and touching hands so she finally broke the contact. "So what are we going to do now?" she asked.

Ludwig frowned a little from the loss of contact, but quickly recomposed himself. "I'm kind of limited on what I can offer you for activities. I don't usually entertain guests." He thought for a moment. "I got it." He stood up to leave and held his arm out to her. "Come with me."

Vitamin grasped his offered arm as she stood up. "Where are we going?"

"We're going to see Kamek."

"Kamek?" Vitani asked, confused at the unfamiliar name.

"He's the royal sorcerer and healer," Ludwig answered. He guided her through the castle down a couple hallways until they came to a set of large double doors. Ludwig pushed open the door.

Inside was chaos. Books were flying around everything and there was a little Koopa chasing around a broom that was flying out of control. The broom acted like it stopped, and right as he went to grab it, it turned and pushed passed him, knocking him over in the process. "Dang it!" Vitani tried hard not to laugh at the sight.

"Having problems with that broom again, Kamek?" Ludwig asked as he walked over to help the sorcerer up.

"Kammy is upset with me again and cursed my lab..." he muttered.

Ludwig chuckled. "Haven't you learned how to stay out of trouble yet?"

Kamek brushed himself off and straightened his hat. "Apparently not... So, what can I do for you, Ludwig?"

Ludwig gestured over to Vitani. "I'd like to get her a wand."

Vitani's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

Ludwig smiled. "I thought I could teach you some magic. Plus then you can protect yourself easier."

Vitani shook her head. "You really shouldn't be teaching me anything like that. What if I mess up bad?"

Ludwig laughed. "I insist! Besides, everything is reversible. You'll be fine."

Kamek rubbed at his chin. "Hmm... I do believe I happen to have a spare wand around here." The sorcerer ran off to a back room. Some crashing was heard along with some muttering. He emerged with a scepter. "Here we are!" He offered it to Vitani.

Vitani grasped it hesitantly and felt the power it held. She inspected it closely. It was just like Ludwig's only the top was a pretty teal color. She noticed a small crevice carved into it.

"You put your thumb into the crevice and it senses you so that anything you picture in your mind can be easily made reality," Ludwig explained. "Nevertheless, you still need to know what you're doing."

Vitani carefully held the scepter. "Interesting..."

Ludwig motioned towards the door. "Let's go back to my room before I reach you." He turned towards Kamek. "Thank you for the scepter."

Kamek bowed. "Not a problem, Prince Ludwig."

Vitani followed Ludwig out the door and chuckled. "Prince Ludwig," she teased.

Ludwig rolled his eyes, amused. "Yeah I know, sounds weird doesn't it?"

"Just a bit, but it suits you," she commented.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really now?" He smirked at her. "Whatever you say, Lady Vitani."

She laughed. "That's even worse!"

"Just a bit, but it suits you," he said, playfully copying what she said earlier. He smiled. "It really does, though."

She blushed lightly. "Oh, um, thanks I guess..."

They arrived back at Ludwig's room and went inside. Ludwig fished his wand out of the desk drawer. "Hmm, where to start with you...?" he pondered out loud. "I could teach you the basics on how to conjure items and make them appear, I suppose."

"Sounds easy enough..." Vitani muttered.

"Start by placing your thumb in the crevice on the scepter. You will feel it pulse a bit. That's how it's telling you that it acknowledges your consciousness."

Vitani pressed her thumb into the spot as he instructed and felt the scepter pulsate three times. "I can't believe I'm going to learn magic," she said aloud.

Ludwig chuckled at the look of disbelief on her face. "For every spell, you have certain words you must think or say. Those advanced in magic can merely think their incantations, but when starting out, I highly recommend saying them so it's clear in your mind what you are trying to conjure. If you only think them when starting out, it's entirely possible your vision of what you desire can alter or become clouded which causes issues in the results."

"So I can screw up if my mind wanders slightly, is what you're saying," she said nervously.

"Correct," Ludwig said, "but I've noticed that it typically takes a big flaw in your thoughts to drastically chance something from what you want."

"That still doesn't make it any less scary to possess this kind of power..."

He chuckled. "You'll become more and more familiar with it as time goes on and then it won't seem so bad. Now, for a basic conjuring spell, you must say or think something that describes your item. It does not have to be anything fancy or rhyme. For example, if I want to conjure a rose, I will say something like 'I want a pink rose in full bloom'." He waved the wand around as he spoke those words and a pink rose appeared in his hands. He handed it to Vitani. "That's not so bad right? I can do a spell for you in which my thoughts wander and the rose will be messed up." He waved the wand around again. "I want a pink rose in full bloom." A rose did appear, but it had blue and red streaks through it as well.

"Wow..." Vitani said. "I see how easily you can mess up a spell."

Ludwig nodded. "Over all, casting spells is easy, but you have to be focused. Now you true. Conjure a rose like I did."

Vitani raised the wand and waved it around. "I want a pink rose in full bloom..." she whispered. The rose appeared with no flaws.

Ludwig raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Interesting... None of my siblings nor I ever successfully conducted a spell on the first try..."

Vitani blushed. "I just did what you said..."

He nodded. "Indeed, but no one ever gets their very first spell right. You have natural talent."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Good, but if you let power consume you, it can be bad. But I can tell you aren't like that, Vitani," he said and smiled.

She smiled back. "Okay, so should I try to conjure up some more things?"

"I want you to try to conjure up a live creature," he said.

"Isn't that a little dangerous?" she asked. "What if I cast the spell wrong and end up with some...mutant?"

Ludwig nodded. "Yes, it is risky, but considering your success with your first spell, I believe you will be capable."

Vitani looked at him in disbelief. "If you say so..." She took a deep breath and waved the wand around. "I want a Yoshi like the one I rode upon when I first arrived here," she muttered quietly. A ray emitted from the light and there stood a Yoshi.

Ludwig looked at her in shock. "That's amazing... Not a single flaw..."

The Yoshi looked at Vitani and jumped up. "Yoshi!"

She reached out and pet him. "Hey there, little guy."

Ludwig shook his head trying to make sense of everything. "I have never seen nor heard of anyone with such natural talent in casting spells... You are truly unique."

Vitani blushed. "I'm nothing special."

"I beg to differ. Immensely. Okay, I want to try a different sort of spell with you now. I want you to try to teleport an object from another room instead of creating one."

"That doesn't sound that easy..." she said.

"For you, I believe it will be," Ludwig said confidently. "Hmm, from which of my siblings can I make something disappear without getting murdered... Ahh, Lemmy. I'm going to teleport his ball into here." Ludwig waved his wand around and muttered to himself.

Suddenly Lemmy's ball appeared in front of them and they heard a thud in the hallway along with a groan. A knock on the door sounded and Ludwig opened it. "Did you have to do that when I was on my ball?" Lenny asked, mildly annoyed. "That fall hurt."

Ludwig smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that. I'm trying to teach Vitani some magic and was trying to think of something I could easily teleport in here without getting murdered after." He laughed at the last part.

Lemme jumped up and down. "Ooh, magic! Wait, you're teaching her? That's so cool! What can she do?"

"Let's find out." Ludwig looked over at her. "Teleport Roy's sunglasses."

Vitani's face went white. "Are you crazy? He'll kill me!"

Ludwig laughed. "He won't as long as I am here."

"If you say so..." She waved the wand and muttered, "Teleport to me Roy's sunglasses..." Next thing she knew, she held a pair of pink sunglasses in her hand. "Oh dear..." she said in fear of the wrath about to come.

Lemme clapped. "Wow, how many times has she tried that?"

"That was her first time with that spell..." Ludwig said.

"Seriously?!" Lemmy said, shocked. "She's powerful!"

"Indeed..."

An angry pounding on the door resounded. "Alright, you blue haired freak, give me glasses back!"

Ludwig opened the door and ducked to avoid Roy's first. "Geez, calm down. I didn't take them."

Roy glared. "Then who did?"

Ludwig looked behind him. "She did."

Roy was about to say something smart and noticed that he meant the prisoner, not Wendy when he said "she". "Wait, you're teaching da prisoner ta cast magic?"

Ludwig nodded. "Indeed. She's excelling at it."

Roy walked over towards her. He held out his hand. "May I have my sunglasses back, please? You can see how ugly I look without them."

Vitani smiled. "You may," she said and handed them to him. "You don't look that bad, you know."

Roy blushed slightly. "Thanks..." he muttered. He darted back towards the door. "Does King Dad know what you're doing?"

"He does not, but I feel like he will be rather pleased to learn we have someone very gifted within the castle. That was the first time she used a teleportation spell, by the way."

Roy lowered his sunglasses to look at Vitani again. "Wait, what? That's crazy! I couldn't cast a blasted teleportation spell for months. You're special there, missy." He took off back to his room.

Ludwig looked over to her. "I think we should tell my dad about your extraordinary gift."

"If you think it's wise to," she said softly and followed him out to the throne room.


	12. Chapter 12 - Reveal

**Chapter 12 - Reveal**

"King Dad."

Bowser looked up from the parchment he was writing on and noticed Ludwig and the prisoner had entered his throne room. "Yes, son? Can you make it quick? I'm scheming again."

Ludwig frowned. "So soon? I think I have some information more important to share with you."

Bowser gave him a disbelieving look. "And what is that?"

"About half an hour ago, I visited Kamek and asked for a wand for Vitani," Ludwig started and was interrupted by Bowser.

"You really think giving someone who is suppose to be a prisoner the ability to use magic is wise?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes and no. I was thinking more along the lines of her being capable of protecting herself, if say, Larry pulls another stunt." Ludwig said the last part bitterly.

Bowser nodded. "And what if she chooses to use this wand to escape at some point?"

Vitani spoke up. "King Bowser, I do not have any desire to escape from your castle. I do not know a lot about where I originate from. Until I do know my past, my home is here."

Bowser raised an eyebrow at her. "You're content living in a castle filled with beings others see as monsters or inhumane?"

She nodded. "This whole world is a foreign place to me. It is expected there would be some unique life forms, and I have for the most part been shown decent enough hospitality."

"Alright then, it pleases me to hear you consider this your home." He looked back to Ludwig. "I feel like there is more you wish to tell me besides the fact you are teaching her magic."

Ludwig nodded. "Indeed. I have only taught her a couple of casting techniques, yet she is greatly excelling. She has a natural talent for magic."

"Really now?" Bowser looked very intrigued. "What is she capable of?"

"Why doesn't she show you instead?" Ludwig asked and turned toward Vitani. "Conjure a basic item, first."

"Alright," Vitani said nervously and raised the wand. She twirled it around and muttered something to herself. A bright red apple appeared in her hands and she handed it to Ludwig for the time being. "Teleportation next?" she asked and he nodded at her. She waved the wand again and teleported the Yoshi she had created earlier into the throne room.

Bowser nearly jumped out of his throne. "Incredible..." he breathed. "And she's only had a wand for less than an hour?"

Ludwig nodded. "Correct," he said and offered the Yoshi the apple, which it swallowed whole. "She created this Yoshi here, too. Earlier she only teleported an inanimate object. That was the first living creature she's teleported."

"This is most impressive," Bowser said. "Your powers can be greatly utilized here at Kastle Koopa."

Vitani frowned. "You mean you wish to use my abilities to fight?"

Bowser nodded. "Correct."

She shook her head. "I do not wish to use my abilities in any such manner unless it is to save someone."

Bowser sighed. "And I will respect that. I can not force you to use them for something you do not wish to."

Vitani bowed. "Thank you."

Bowser nodded. "I only ask that you do not let your talent go to waste." He thought for a moment. "You mentioned you do not know of your past. Perhaps your abilities can be used to unlock your memories, but be warned for sometimes it is best if things are left in the past. I believe you were brought to our world for a good reason."

"If I chose to use magic to unlock my memories, how would I go about this?"

"Unfortunately, I can not tell you. I myself do not know how to block or unblock memories. Very few have ever done it, and there are dangers associated with it."

"What kind of dangers?" she asked.

"You could become trapped in your mind. Your body will still be alive, but you will not awaken until you can find your way out, if ever." Bowser frowned at the thought. "The only other bit of advice I can give you is that you must be very gifted in magic, and have a strong will. If you let the memories you are seeing win, you won't return."

"So you're saying I have to battle myself in my own head?"

"In a way," he said. "Be careful if you choose to pursue this path. You may find memories you don't want to remember, or even others you'll wish to remain in."

"I understand," she said. "Thank you, King Bowser." She bowed along with Ludwig and they exited the throne room. They walked through the castle and she noticed Ludwig was being awfully quiet. "Are you alright?"

He looked at her kind of sadly. "I would hate to see you become trapped in your own mind. It's your decision on what you wish to do, but I don't think it's a good idea."

Vitani frowned. "I know, but it would be nice to know more about who I am."

"I get that. I won't stop you, but I want you to be careful and sure it's truly what you want to do before you do it."

Vitani looked at him carefully. "You don't actually want me to remember, do you?"

He sighed. "I don't want you to get hurt. There's probably a good reason you don't remember anything."

"Maybe..." she said quietly. "I never truly told you why I screamed in the bath."

"No, and I've been wondering about that," he said.

She took a deep breath. "I had a bit of a repressed memory, but instead of seeing the world through my own eyes, I saw it as someone else. I could see someone sitting all alone. It was me. When my double looked at me, she had no color in her eyes. They were blank, devoid of any emotions."

Ludwig frowned. "That's a little creepy... Are you sure that's a world you want to remember?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. If that's any indication of what I left behind, it would be best to leave it be, but how do I really know? Maybe someday I'll try to remember, but I don't want to for now."

Ludwig smiled at her sadly. "I'll accept that." He opened his door and let her inside first before closing and locking it.


	13. Chapter 13 - Surprise

**Chapter 13 - Surprise**

Ludwig glanced at the clock. "It's time for lunch. Do you want to join my siblings and their bad table manners again or me bring you something?"

Vitani sat on the bed and looked down. "I'm not all that hungry..."

"You need to eat something," he said. "Okay, I'll let you slide if you eat the one thing I'm going to bring you."

"Can't you just produce it with magic?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I have to tell the family we won't be joining them at the table, anyway," he replied. "Be back shortly." He left the room.

Vitani sighed and laid back on the bed. "Do I truly want to remember?" she whispered.

Ludwig walked to the kitchen and spoke to the chef. "Just have it all prepared for tonight, okay?" He grabbed the items he had requested for now and went to the dining hall. A couple of his siblings were already waiting for food. "Hey, let King Dad know that Vitani and I will not be joining you all."

"What, are we not important enough for you?" Wendy asked. "She's probably just scared of us still."

Ludwig glared. "She isn't feeling well. That's all." He left the room feeling annoyed with his sister's remarks. He walked back into his room and over to where Vitani was lying on the bed. "Here, thought you'd at least like this," he said and handed her a yogurt parfait full of various fruits.

"Thank you," she said and sat up to eat it. "Your family wasn't too upset we're not coming right?"

Ludwig sighed. "Got the usual sassy remarks from Wendy, but no it's fine. Not like it's the first time I've skipped a meal."

Vitani smiled lightly and shook her head at him. "Don't do that."

He glared playfully at her. "You're one to talk." He sat at his desk and shuffled some loose papers around.

"How much did you compose last night? Vitani asked, curious.

"The one song I played for you this morning, and I have another one in progress. Hoping to find some more inspiration tonight," he said and started scribbling away.

"You have anymore composition paper I could use?"

He opened a drawer. "That's all blank paper. Take what you want." Ludwig handed her a small stack of it, a pencil, and something for her to write on.

Vitani set aside the now empty parfait bowl and took the supplies from him. "Thanks, Ludwig." She flipped over on to her stomach and stared at the blank lines in front of her. She began to hear a tune playing in the back of her mind. Vitani grabbed the pencil and started to draw the notes onto the paper.

Vitani jumped when she felt Ludwig lightly touch her arm. "You scared me!"

He chuckled. "Sorry. Hate to break your concentration, but we have to get to dinner."

"Already?" she asked and looked at the clock. Sure enough, many hours had passed. She looked at the papers that were now scattered all over the bed and laughed. "Guess I really was focused."

He laughed with her. "I had to give you more paper a couple times."

"I don't remember you doing that."

He laughed again. "You were even more focused than I thought. I put another pile next to you every so often and you dove right into it."

Vitani blushed. "My bad."

He smiled. "Come on, let's get to dinner."

Vitani got up from the bed and stumbled for a moment. "Remind me not to sit still that long again." He offered her his arm for support. "Thanks," she said and took it as they left his room. Ludwig started guiding her to somewhere that she knew wasn't the dining hall. "Wait, aren't we going to dinner?"

He chuckled. "We are," he said and kept leading her through some various hallways. He opened a door to reveal the outside world. Ludwig led her to a blanket sitting on top of a hill.

Vitani giggled. "A picnic?"

Ludwig blushed and smiled shyly. "Yeah, I thought you'd like to be out of the castle."

Vitani turned around toward the way they came and gasped. You could see the castle, but around it was a beautiful sunset which illuminated the sky with a rainbow of colors. "Oh wow..."

"I thought you'd like it," he said and started fishing things out of the basket next to him. "You've never really experienced a lot in this world, so I thought I'd show you a bit of what it has to offer."

Vitani sat next to him. "It's gorgeous..." she said softly. "This whole set up is really nice."

He smiled at her. "I try."

She selected some food and started to delicately nibble on it while she studied him. His reptilian skin, his wild hair, his claws. He was meant to look menacing, yet he had such a gentle and caring side to him. His features were uniquely him, and she found him to be rather... Charming?

Vitani started blushing as she continued to eat. He noticed her face redden. "You alright?"

She quickly smiled at him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "If you say so."

The sun finished setting and some stars began to come out. Vitani looked up at one in particular and felt a familiar feeling when she gazed at it.

"Ludwig, what's that star called?"

"Lumas," he replied. "It's said a goddess inhabits that star and that she grants wishes."

"Wishes..." Vitani said quietly and had a flash back. She was back in her old life, her cheeks stained with tears, looking up at this same star. She felt herself begin to say something, and then the rest was abruptly cut off. Vitani found herself back on the blanket outside of Kastle Koopa and blinked a few times. "I remember that star..."

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "What did you see?"

"Not a lot," she admitted. "But I was sitting alone with tears on my cheeks looking up at that same star. I began to say something but I couldn't tell what."

"Perhaps it is the goddess who choose to bring you here?"

Vitani shrugged. "I'm not sure. I wonder why I was crying... I felt a lot of dread and sadness..."

Ludwig placed his hand over hers. "I'm sorry... From what you've told me, it's alluded that your life before here wasn't so great. But I'm glad that you're here now..." He said the last part quietly as he looked at her with a faint blush.

Vitani blushed as she looked back at him. When he touched her, she felt a spark of electricity, but with it, a desirable comfort. "Me too..." she whispered back.

He leaned closer to her and raised her chin up with his hand. Ludwig lowered his face towards hers and placed a single kiss on her lips.

Off in the distance, a figure lurked in the shadows, leaning up against the castle wall. Larry had his arms crossed as he watched the two. "What does he think he's doing?" he asked to no one in particular. An evil smirk came across his face. "Enjoy what happiness you have now, because it's not going to last." He snickered and went back inside.


End file.
